New Horizons...

2007 is the first year for the Toyota company to enter the manufacturer race in NASCAR's elite division of Nextel Cup. A year ago the company celebrated it first championship title in NASCAR's Craftsmen Truck series with Jeff Bodine and the Lumber Liquidators Tundra pacing the field and handily beating out Johnny Benson on the final night of competition.

There have been many discussions by various media types around the garage since the announcement was made as to what impact this would have on the cup series but I am not sure that the opinions being expressed represent the true feelings of some of our most recognizable faces or if they do, there are new motivating factors behind those sentiments.

On sunday's broadcast of the Daytona 500 Darrell Waltrip pointed out the fact that the Toyotas were the only cars actually being built in the USA of the big four, the Chevy's and Chryslers being built in Canada and the Fords in Mexico. You could tell by the way he made the statement that there was more there than simply trying to convince the diehard, oldschool fans to get with the times. Waltrip is sponsored by Toyota in his truck team and while it's not known if that was the only option he had to get a team off the ground, certainly he is going to publicly promote the manufacture any chance he gets... he is afterall a Waltrip.

My interest in this debate goes beyond the badge on the nose of the car and to the state of development in the sport as a whole. Yes Toyota entering NASCAR in an age where more of their vehicles are made in America than oversees where the company was founded is a sign of the times as much as anything, but it's a sign of a continuing paradigm shift within the sport that started in the age of moonshine runners and good ole' boys from the south. NASCAR has gone hollywood or perhaps more accurately it's gone WWE. So much of the spectacle that is a NASCAR race is fueled by media interviews, often held at the height of emotional vulnerability on the part of the drivers almost begging them to lash out and be controversial.

The cars are getting safer, the racing staler and the personalities more varied and marketable. We have rules to ensure the top drivers compete in every race, historical tracks are being abandoned in favour of larger facilities that are built by sponsors and Dale Jr is actually considering leaving the company founded by his father. What's happening to our sport? It's decided it wants to become a sport and not a lifestyle. Sports are run by dollars, lifestyles by family. The France's might be a family but they've shown in recent years that the green they are driven by is no longer the flag, but the almighty dollar.

Blog by Smoked.
www.NASCAR-NORTH.com